The present invention relates to waste treatment systems and especially those waste treatment systems which are packaged, containerized units.
In the treatment of wastewater, there is often utilized a containerized or packaged unit treatment plant which treats received waste product on an intermittent flow basis such as from a home, small apartment structure, building or the like. In the home construction industry, for example, there is often utilized a buried, subsoil sewage treatment vessel or septic tank which can be used to preliminarily treat waste products. Such sewage treatment devices usually receive flow intermittently and must treat the intermittent flow to meet ecological and building standards. Oftentimes the unit is merely a holding or "septic" tank that removes settlable solid waste from the wastewater stream.
It is desirable that wastewater be treated in an economical way utilizing as little energy as possible and as few moving parts as possible while removing a high percentage of solid material from the wastewater stream and while lowering the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) of the wastewater stream. It is desirable that a minimum of sludge removal would be required since sludge disposal presents an extra problem.
It would be desirable that a wastewater treatment apparatus produce a total homogenation of the fluids received from the waste stream in order that they be properly bio-degraded. Waste entering the unit would normally be heterogeneous in nature, containing solid waste material as well as some liquid wastewater.
In aerated treatment systems, a problem is faced in that a clogging of the aeration assembly which provides bubbles to the unit will cause a degeneration of the treatment process or in fact a total stoppage of air flow to the vessel, transferring the process from aerobic to anaerobic, thus removing most treatment capability. It would be desirable that the aeration unit or air diffuser be provided that minimizes or prevents clogging by solid material which may enter the unit.